Sliding adapter plate for metal working machines



' G. SWAHNBERG SLIDING ADAPTER PLATE FOR METALWORKING MACHINES Filed Jan. 18, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct 29; 1 a. SWAHNBERG SLIDING ADAPTER PLATE FOR METALWORKING MACHINES Filed Jan. 18, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Oct. 29, 1940.

G. SWAHNBERG 7 SLIDING ADAPTER PLATE FOR METALWOHKING MACHINES Filed Jan. 18, 1938 5 Shlets-Sheet IS OCL 29. 1940. W E G 2,219,717

SLIDING ADAPTER PLATE FOR METALWORKING MACHINES,

5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Jan. 18, 1938 NW NW Oct. 29. 1940. e] SWAHNBERG SLIDING ADAPTER PLATE FOR METALWORKING MACHINES Filed Jan. 18', 1938 5 guts-shee 5 Patented Oct. 29, 1940 UNITED STATES SLIDING ADAPTER PLATE FOR METAL WORKING MACHINES Gunnar Swahnberg,

Keene, N. H., assignor to Kingsbury Machine Tool Corporation, Keene, N. H.,acorporation of New Hampshire Application January 18, 1938, =SerialNo. 185,603

9 Claims. (01. 77-32). I

The invention relates generally to metal workwhich are provided work supmeans and tool heads embodying spindles in which the drill or tap or other metal working tool is mounted and quills in which the spindles are rotatably supported and by which they are moved toward and from the work to perform the working function and permit indexing, and it primarily seeks to provide a novel form of sliding adapter plate for supporting each tool head in such a manner that the head can be ing machines in porting and indexing moved toward and from the work a considerable distance in excess of its own quill stroke, thereby to provide for greater work clearance and the avoidance of interference during work movement.

An object of the invention is to provide a novelv form of pneumatically actuated sliding adapter plate.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pneumatically actuated sliding adapter plate in which the pneumatic power is indirectly applied through novel means designed to impart uniform, gradually accelerated and decelerated movement to the slide and the head carried thereon so that I the inertia of the vmass load represented by the slide and head is overcome gradually as it is started from or brought to rest at each limit of its movement.

Another object of the invention is to provide novel movement transmitting devices of the character stated in which are included means for locking the slide at each limit of itsmovement.

Another object of the means for yieldably opposing and cushioning movement of the slide at each limit of its movement.

With these and other objects in view which will more fully appear, the nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by following the description, the appended claims, and the several views illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings--- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved sliding adapter plate and a' metal working head secured thereon. I

Figure 2 is a plan view of the sliding adapter plate with the metal working head removed therefrom. p

Figure 3 is a right end elevation.

Figure 4 is a vertical .cross section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2..

Figure 5 is 'a plan and part horizontal sectional view of the base portion of the adapter plate assembly, the section of the sectioned portion being taken along the plane of the air cylinder axis.

invention is to provide heads.

Figure 6" is a vertical longitudinal section taken. I on the line6-6 on Figure2. Figure 7 is a diagrammatic plan view illustrating the .manner in which the crank pin drive functions to impartaccelerated and decelerated linear movement to the slide and the head carried thereon. p 1

In the drawings I have illustrated the invention as supporting a single metal working'head or unit. Such units usually are provided in multiple and are disposed radially about a work supporting. and indexing means. The metal workinghead and the worksupporting and indexing mechanism, in themselves, form no part of my present invention, and assemblies of such mechanisms are to be found in the United States patents to Kingsbury, Reissue 19,185 of May 29, 1934, and Kingsbury'1,975,008 of September 25, 1934. The head units such as are disclosed in the first patent-mentioned include quills which are rotatable and reciprocable in thefradial'direction towardand from the work, and the work supportingand indexing devicesrdisclos'ed in the second, patent'mentioned serve to support and successively present different faces of the work for engagement by the drill, tap or other tools carried by the individual heads or units.

In this illustration I have indicated a fragment of the supporting frame of themachine at 5. The metal working head or unit is generally designated 6 and includes a mounting base 1 equipped with the usual laterally projected dovetail mounting portions. The spindle 8 of the unit, mounted in the rotatable and reciprocable quill 9, has movement imparted thereto through suitable mechanism contained within the head from the motor I0 supported on the head as indicated in Figure 1 of the drawings.

The sliding adapter plate which forms the subject matter of my present invention .is interposed 40 between the frame partion 5 and the mounting base l of the metal working head and is designed to augment the'reciprocation imparted to the quill 9 so as'to provide for a greater clearance of the tool during work indexing operations. The 45 quill stroke varies in different metal working For example, some quills will be given a 2 /2 inch stroke and others as much as 3 and 3% inches. Two examples'will serve to illustrate the purpose of my improved sliding adapter plate. 50 In one equipment it has been found practical to combine. with a head, the quill of which is given 1 a 2 /2 inch stroke, a sliding adapter plate having a stroke of 4 inches, thus making it possible to move the tool supported in the spindle 8 55 vide a top web l3, a depending center cross web;

I4, end webs l5 and I6 and side webs IT. The side webs I! are shaped to present lateral recesses Ila defined at the ends by ears I8. Each'opposing set of ears supports a guide rod l9; and a cushion spring is coiled about each end of each rod providing a slide space therebetween for -a purpose which will soon become apparent. A drive well 2| is provided in the cross web I4, and a rack slideway 22 communicates with the well in one side as shown at Figures 4 and 5 of the drawings. A stub shaft 23 having a pinion 24 secured thereon is mounted to rotate in the well 2! in upper and lower anti-friction bearings 25 and 26. At its upper end the shaft 23 carries a crank plate 2'! and a crank pin 28 operable in a bronze block 29. The upper bearing 25 .is supported in a removable well closure cap 30.

The end web I6 is provided with an opening closed by a head cap 3| removably secured to the web, as at 32, and serving to mount an air cyl-v inder 33 equipped with the usual piston head 34 and thrust rod 35, the latter extending through a gland 36 formed in the cap 3! into the interior of the base H. See Figures 1, 5 and 6. Pressure fluid is supplied to therespective ends of the cylinder 33 through air lines 31. The extended end of the rod 35 is secured, as at 38, to a rack member 39 slidable in the slideway 22 and meshing with the pinion 24, as shown in Figures 4 and 5 of the drawings. Movement of the rack may be limited in one direction by contact of the piston head with the outer end of the cylinder, and in the other direction by contact of the rack 39 with a limiting stop 40 supported in the web l5. 'By this means rotation of the crank disc 2'! is always stopped with the crank 28 on dead center in the fore and aft line of shifting movement of the sliding adapter plate. See Figures 5 and 7.

The base II also includes dovetail slide guideways 4| for slidably receiving the slide plate 42 which includes depending dovetail rails 43 for engaging in the guideways, one said rail being removably mounted as indicated at 44. The slide plate 42 carries upstanding dovetail rails 45 which are removably secured thereon, as at 46, and serve as a mounting means for the dovetail base portion I of the head or unit 6. See Figures 1, 3 and 4. The slide plate carries a pair of parallel spaced blocks 41 between which the bronze actuator block 29 engages, as shown in Figures 4 and 6 of the drawings, and the plate also may include end walls 48. It will be obvious that as the crank disc 21 is turned the bronze block 29 sliding between the blocks 4! depending from the slide plate 42 will impart linear movement to the slide plate.

The metal working heads or units 6 may be rigidly secured to the slide plates 42, but I prefer to adjustably mount the heads so that they may be movedlongitudinally with respect to the slide plates so as to initially position the heads in the desired relation to the work support. For this purposea worm 49 may be mounted in a suitable recess formed in the slide plate and engaged with supporting inserts 54. guide ear 55 slidable along one of the guide rods a rack 52 formed in the bottom of the head unit, as shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4. It will be obvious that by rotating the shaft 5| on which the worm 49 is mounted, movement of the head 6 along the slide plate 42 may be effected, the worm and rack equipment serving automatically to lock the head in its various positions of adjustment.

At each side the slide plate 42 carries a bracket member 52 secured by screws 53 and shear stress Each bracket includes a 19 in the space intervening the springs 28 mounted on said rod.

- It willlbe obvious that the desired fore and aft linear movement could be imparted to the slide plate by complete rotation of the crank disc 21 through successive steps of degrees each, but I prefer to employ the rack and air cylinder equipment for imparting successive partial rotations to the crank disc through an arc of 180 degrees, as diagrammatically illustrated in Figure '7 of the drawings. In this figure, I have indicated the direction of linear travel of the head and slide plate by the line 55. The 180 degree are of movement of the crank 28 is indicated-at 51, and in order to illustrate the manner in which the linear movement of the head is gradually accelerated and decelerated I have divided this are of movement into ten equal sectors of 18 degrees each, as indicated at 58. By straight lines 59 I have indicated the successive divisions of linear travel imparted to the head and it will be obvious that as the crank pin is moved in one direction or the other the linear movement of the head is gradually accelerated at the start of the movement and decelerated at the end of the movement. Thus the mass load of the head is gradually picked up and gradually brought to a stop, and by always stopping the crank 28 on dead center in the line of fore and aft movement of the slide plate the head is always looked at each limit of its stroke adjustment. In addition to this gradual acceleration and deceleration of motion, the movement of the head 6 and the slide 42 on which it is carried is cushioned at each end of the fore and aft stroke by engagement of the ears 55 with the respective cushion springs 20.

The springs 20 not only cushion the movement of the slide 42 at each end of the fore and aft stroke, but they impose a load serving to take up backlash in the driving connections and in the direction in which the metal working tool thrust is imparted. This means that not only is the slide 42 stopped on dead center but it is held against the movement transmitting connections at dead center by the force of the springs, and when the metal working tool thrust is imparted it comes in the same direction thereby eliminating inaccuracies which might result because of backlash.

If desired, the crank pin 28 may be moved slightly beyond dead center so as to effectually prevent any possibility of the adapter plate being pushed back away from its forward position by tool thrust.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided a novel and pneumatically actuated means for augmenting the movement of the head toward and from the work so as to assure perfect clearance during indexing, and that this means includes devices for gradually accelerating and decelerating the movementv and also for cushioning the movement at the fore and aft limits thereof.

, I claim:

1. In a deviceeo-f thecharacter described, a

tool feeding head including tool feeding and on the base and on which the" head is directlysupported, a rotatable shaft, a crank member rotatable with the shaft, and slidably engaged with the slide plate for imparting linear movement thereto, means for imparting rotary movement to the shaft, and means for discontinuing movementof the shaft with the crank member always at dead center to lock the slide plate at its limit of movement in either direction, said shaft and said crank member being rotatable about a vertical axis within the upper and lower limits of said hollow base structure.

2. In a device of the character described, a tool feeding head including tool feeding and power applying means, a fiat hollow supporting base structure, a slide plate movably mounted on the base and on which the head is directly supported, a rotatable shaft, a crank member rotatable with the shaft and slidably engaged with the slide plate for imparting linear movement thereto, means for imparting rotary. movement to the shaft, means for discontinuing movement of the shaft with the crank member always at dead center to lock the slide plate at its limit of movement in either direction, said shaft and said crank member being rotatable about a vertical axis within the upper and lower limits of 1 said hollow base structure, and means carried by said base structure and directly engaged by said plate for cushioning movement of the slide plate just prior toattainment of the dead center position of the crank member in either direc-' tion.

3. In a device of the character described, a

tool carrying head, a supporting base having a longitudinal fore and aft guideway, a slide plate slidable in said guideway and on which the head is directly supported, said basehaving a bearing well therein, a pinion shaft and crank assembly vertically and rotatably supported in the well, said crank having driving connection with said slide, means for imparting rotary movement to said pinion, and means for limiting the rotary movement of the pinion to 180 degrees at a given time so as to always stop the crank on dead center in the fore and aft direction.

4. In a device of the character described, a tool carrying head, a flat hollow supporting base structure having a longitudinal fore and aft guideway, a slide plate slidable in said guideway and on which the head is directly supported,

said base having a bearing well therein, a pinion shaft and crank assembly rotatably supported in the well, said crank having driving connection with said slide, and means including an air cylinder and rack for imparting rotary movement to the pinion in alternate directions through an arc of 180 degrees so as to always stop the crank on dead center in the fore and aft direction, said crank, said shaft, said pinion, and said rack all being mounted within the upper and lower limits of said hollow base structure, and said air cylinder being directly secured to and projecting in the plane of said base structure.

5. In a device of the character described, a tool carrying head, a supporting base having a longitudinal fore and aft guideway, a slide plate slidable in said guideway and on which the head is directly supported, said base having a bearing well therein, a pinionshaft and crank assembly rotatably supported in the well, said crank having driving connection with said slide, means for imparting rotary movement to said pinion, a

guide rod carried by thebase, a guide member slidably embracing the rod and movable with the slide, and cushion springs mounted in spaced relation at either side of the guide member and engageable therewith to cushion movement of the slide as it approaches its limit of movement in either direction, 7

6. In a device of the character described, a tool carrying head, a supporting base having a longitudinal fore and aft guideway, a'slide plate slidable in said guideway and on which the head is directly supported, said base having a bearing well therein, a pinion shaft and crank assembly rotatably supported in the well, said crank having driving connection with said slide, means for imparting rotary movement to said pinion, said base having a longitudinally disposed.recess at each side of the well therein, a guide rod in each recess, a guide member carried at each side of the slide and slidably embracing one rod, and a cushion spring mounted in spaced relation at either side of each guide member and engageable therewith to cushion movement of the slide as it approaches its limit of movement in either direction.

'7. In a device of the character described, a tool carrying head, a supporting base having a longitudinal fore and aft guideway, a slide plate slidable in said guideway and on which the head is directly supported, said base having a bearing well therein, a pinion shaft and crank assembly rotatably supported in the well, said crank having driving connection with said slide, said base having a longitudinally disposed recess at each side of the well the-rein, a guide rod in each recess, a guide member carried at eachside of the slide and slidably embracing one rod, a cushion-spring mounted in spaced relation at either side of each guide member and engageable therewith to cushion movement of the slide as-it approaches its limit of movement in either direction, and means including an air cylinder and rack for imparting rotary movement to the pinion in alternate directios through an arc of 180 degrees so as to always stop the crank on dead center in the fore and aft direction.

8. In a device of the character described, a tool carrying head, a supporting base having a longitudinal. fore and aft guideway, a slide plate slidable in said guideway and on which the head is directly supported, said base having a bearing well therein, a pinion shaft and crank assembly rotatably supported in the well, said crank having driving connection with said slide, said base having a longitudinally disposed recess at each side of the well therein, a guiderod in each recess, a guide member carried at each side of the slide and slidably embracing one rod, a cushion spring mounted in spaced relation at eitherside of each guide member and engageable therewith to cushion movement of the slide as it approaches its limit of movement in either direction, means including an air cylinder and rack for imparting rotary movement to the pinion in carrying head, a supporting base, a slide plate movably mounted on the base and on which'the head is directly supported, a driving pinion and crank assembly, said crank having driving connection with said slide, a fluid pressure actuated rack meshing with said pinion and adapted to impart alternate movements thereto through an arc of 180 degrees for moving the crank from dead center to dead center and imparting to the slide plate a definite fore and aft stroke travel, and spring means supported by the base and 

